Means for steering submarine and submergible boats.



PATBNTBD FEB. 13, 1906.

L. Y. SPBAR. 'MEANS PGR STEEEIRG SUBMARINE AND SUBMERGIBLB BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED KAY 2B. 1904.

2 SH EETS-BHBET 1.

v jy- EATENTSD PEB. 13. 1me` L. Y. SPEAK. MEANS PUR STEERING SUBMARNE AND SUBMERGIBLE BOATS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAWRENCE Y. SPEAR, OF (rREENPOR'l, XElV YOlih, -ASSIGNUH TU ELECTRIC BOAT COMPANY. OF GRPIENPORI. NlIW YORK.

MEANSFOR STEHlNG SUBMAFHNE AND SUBMERGIBLE BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1906.

Application ned any 2, 1am. son: Nu. 209,978.

To all whom, l muy (1i/worn:

i ri llt Socket or shinth S tu roioivo nn 1p1 imi Be it known that LLAWRENCE Y. Srmxnn i tu le (Soon in nxinl longitndinnl son: on in citizen of tho United States, rosirling nt Greonport, in the county of Sullolk and Stato of New York, have invented certain now nml useful Improvements in Means for Steering Submarine and Submergible Boats, of which 5 ilol'iorsnnd, il' dosirod, with lvnsi's. in ordm' the following is a specification.

This invent-ion relatos to the dass of suhluarine boats wherein the bont is lit-tod with a compass for mpintaining tout@ when nnb merged and also with optical instruments or devices known as altiscopes, purine-open, Jac., which are designed to cnuhlo the steers man or observer in the vossol to ohsorvo surrounding obiectsifrom n point. considerably below the levl of the water.

The ob'ect of the present invontion is to improve t e construction, mounting, nml n 1- eratfiveness of the stoerilngr moans, :is will o hereinafter explained; Tho novo! font uros ol the invention will bo carefully dolimd in tho claims. A

In thaccompanying drawings, which ili'utrate an embodiment of thoi invontion, Figure 1 is a Sectional olovution tnkvn along the lon- 4 fzitlvldinal axis of the hout, showing the do- ;s mainly 1nolovatmn und tho hout nml cunning-tower in vertical scctiong'nnd Fig. 2 is avi w of tho sanno parts or` lloxii'org ns soi-n from t. io left in Fig. 1. Fiwnz, 4, 5, und are enlarged fragmentary llit'ilil views. [n these views Fig. 3 is a sootiiliil view showing the gearing for driving tho indicator. Fig. 'l is u horizontal sootion, as ut lino x* in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is an onlnrgod View ofitho Iowor purl of the optical tubo and tho cyl-piove, nml Fig. l is an enlarged viow showing tho consum-tion ol' the indiontor in detail. y

B dosignntos n ira 'mont of the hull of' tho luist, om! T n part. o tho rmming-towor, iurre'., or sighting-lunari mounted thereon,

l is the main steorillg-Wlwol, oouplorl hy learn 2 with n Shaft. 3, from which tho rnddor is operated hv any suitnhlo oonnootivv gourmg. by a'holmsnmn-or stoorsmun. 5 is nn nuxiliary slimming-Whoo] for the olmo-wr or vonnnundor, from which tho shaft 3 muy also' hc drivon through n olnlin (i und sprankelwlinols 7.

At t-ho sido of tho tower 'l` und proiornhlj.' dispos-od in tho plano passing through tho houtn longitudinal nxis forward is un npl l This' whool is dosigncd lo ho opirnloil f rhnmhirf s xFigli l.) The sooliot S muy ln misi or nando in f ono'p'loco with tho towo'r, :is shown; inn lhi to roooivo un imago an. its uppvr oxmior vnd anni drilortltho somo from its lowor iniminr ond into n substantially horizonlnl plano, Whore il' muy ho obsvlml through :in v vopiero 1l) from the lim-rior ol iinl running;- towor. 'illo tuho 9 is liltocl romovnhly in its sorkct und lnonnlod rotatably alum! il vertical axis, und it has thv nwvssiny nie-nm forprcvontingi novi-ss of u'mor lo Iho onlor 0nd of tho sovkot :and lo vnnhhil to rninlv axially without. unduo l'riition. 'lln :nouns for olivo-ting llunv ouds (illustrnli-d in Fig. l l -nro substantially tho sumo :is Ihnxu shim n in my Unitod Status lnvtvnl. .\`o. 751.545!! and uro nota l'wroin olninwd. i

ln thv proscrit mun-trom ion :hu rvllwior :itV the upper und onor vnd nl' lho opivnl inlw is Vu prism il, inolosod in n box or lowing i3, horno Yon tho oppor ond ol tho nlw. Th#A prism turns with tho who, sons lo loro i-n :my diroolion dosiriil. lln` lou'or rollw-tor, lum-- .ovor, which is u priann lil,` is not vin-rind hy n`or mtniivo with tho lnho u, hmV is svi or lilivll in n iXiti lnl'ing or hollow up|mr| 14, (soon in'soclion in Fig. 1,) whirl hns nu its uppor favo n short (-.vlindlii-nl mlw I5, that #its nc'nurutoly inlo tho lowor ond ol' llu` oplionl tubo und forms n homing to snppnrl :tml cvnlvr ilw lowor vnd ol' liul mln* il :ind wohnort il nzornlivvlfu'ilh tho o vipivi-o In und loxvvr prism Iii. 'Thoma-hol Hint' :hv ovlpiwo is srl'oworl or nilwrwiso win-ml in tho inno? upright. fm1' nl' thv maling; lil :and has u maior-iight ooumr'tion with iliiunprighi. from pink'- Va' ul' :i i'lmnilwr i, nhiill imiinsvs liao lower prism Iii und thv mijnront parts. 'llu inni-r ond ol' ho ori-pimisofkvl limi in lo sny, liu omi wiihin lluis rlusod WMM-iight h v n trainspnronl philo i5. (Soon in Fig. :il 'lhr luluQ nl tin' v vo loro muy lnlolosropimlly sliilnlalv in llusor' 'vl4 Hi..

IOC

through the bottoni plate 17 of' the chamber t iiiiil is rotatable iii a stuling-box 22 thereiii. 'l`he shaft il may be rotated by any ltiiowii menus, :is ii crank or hund-wheel l' thi-icon. lt is iiot iiiateriiil to this invention liow this` shaft is rotated. lt is only neces- .sriry t` explain that through tlic me'diuiii ol `t `is shalt und the gears the optical tube. inuit be turned about its upright axis, while the lower prism 'or reflector 13 remains` station nr); with respect to the tube 9.

In order that the observer may note the bearing, of the object of which he secs the unige through the eyepiece, the following means 'are employed:

Within the chamber C is a pinion 23, gearing with the wheel 19 and serving to transmit motion t.hroiiglishafts 24 and .25 and gear wheels 26, Fig. 3: to the hand or iointer 4 of iin indicator on the front. plate oi lier C. 'l`liis indicator comprises a disk .27 with a sleeve-like' stem in which the shaft 25, hearing the pointer, rotates. 'lhis disk is stationary, and in its face is mounted rotatively but rictionall) ii coiiipass-card 28. This card may bc turned about over the face ol' the disk, but will he held by suitable frictional means in any position desired. (See Fig. 6.) 0n this card is a lulibers liuc or niark a, which when the iustruiiieiit has its optical tube so turned that. the up ier rctlcctor or iris-iii Il receives an image oliaii ohject wliici is directly ahead will he coincident with the pointer 4 of the indicator, and in the optical tube is a cross-wire w, which under the saine circumstances will be. coincident with ii vertical pliiiic piissiiier through the longitudinal axis of the bout. l`his wire divides thc tield of view into two e'quiil parts.'

Below thc chamber C is ii tclltalle-compass tl within the View ol the eye c of thc ohserver at thc e 'cpiece, aiidlielow this-couipiiss is iiiountci a suitable iiuwniljy'ing-lcns 3() iiiid a frietioniiily-hinged rcllictor Iii. cyc c' o1' the t-cersiniiii will he so situated iis to coiiiniiiiid the innige iii thc reflector 2H.

'l`lic tight receptacle or chamber (Y is connected by ii pipe 32 with a holder 33 of dry iiir und liv ii pipe 34 with u vaciiuiii-puiiip 35. lii thc pipil 32 is a stop-viilvc c and iu the pipc 3ft u lstopwalve c. To preventl moistiii'c iii the iiir in the chiiuihcr (l and thc opticiil tube from condensing on iiiid foggiiig the luces oll thc "laisses or reflectors, the air may the chaniupper prisni It closes the upper end of the, optical tube 9 air-tight, so that when thc air is removed from the instrument by the pump or other air-exhausting means a nearly pcrfcct vacuum may be formed into which the dried air rushes from the holder 33. This invention is not concerned with any speci'iil means for drying the air, as it is not new to dry air and force. it through the optical tube of an altiseope provided with a pressure-valve at its upper end, This construction und ilisposit-ion of parts is intended to provide a station for the commanding otlicer or navigator, hereinbefore called the observer," and for an independent steersnian or helmsman. With this arrangement the commanding ofticer may Aperform the followin functions without changing his position: First, (a.) con the vessel when on the surface, awash, or sub merged, either through the usual sighting-i ortsof the conning-tower or b compass or.

y means of the optical tube; (g) search the horizon by means of the optical tube and take compass-bearings with the combined dummy compass and indicatorear, at the same time kee ing check u on t e compasscourses steeredJ by the in ependent. steezs man stationed at the lower steering-wheel; second, take charge of the actual steering of the vessel when lie so desires while cunning through the sightingorts by compass or through the optical tu e.

The Present invention relates to the means for steering the vessel or boat, as set forth definitely in the claims. The. other specific features shown herein form the subject-matter of copend ing divisions of this a lication, Serial Nos. 238,796 and $38,797. heee last nii-mcd features, which relate to the optical tube aud means for preventing condensation tot' moisture therein, are'illustrated and de` `scribed herein because of their close relation to the present invention and because they iirc constructively combined with the steerini,r devices in actual practice.

hc pumped iioiu thc said chamber and tube b v the iunip 3.3. cut otl hv tht.` stop-valve i" and the valve i* opened to admit iirtilicially-diicd air to thc lsiiid parts. 'Flic casting` or support t4 in the cliiiiiilier t? will have in it one or more apertures lt to adiiiit dry air to the prisni i3 and to tlic optical tulic, and a receptacle, as 37. t'or ii. deliipicscent salt may be laced in the cluiiiihcl C to assist iu-dr-viiig t ic air.

lt may he `stat-ed here that the huso of the 'llic puuip may t-lieii be l What I claim as my invention isl. A submarine boat, havinv an uprivht socket to receive the optical tube of an altiscopc or like instrument, the said tube, open at its lower end and carrying at its upper end ii deflecting-reflector to receive the image, a cliiiniber within the boat below said socket., a hollow support t4 in said chamber, said support having!I a neck 15 which enters the lower cud ol the optical tube, ii deflection-reflector t3 iu said support, an evepiece-soctet t6 extending tliroueh the wall of the said chamber und coiinecteil with said wall and with the uppoit l-t, the glass t8 in the inner end of the socket 16, the eyepiece mounted slidably in said `socket t6, means for rotating the o tical'tube, a visual indicator actuated by t e rotation of said tube to indicate the extent of its rotation, iiiid a tclltale-coiiii'iassI .9 situ; ated adjacent to the said eyepiece.

IOO

2. A submarine boat, havin f un pt'cal in strunmnt for' receiving und de mating an image lmvn in thv cyvpvce nf the instrument within thi imm, for observation, means fur ruiming axially thv optif-al tube .rif said iw sztrmnunt, a visual imlicatur operated by Said tulle nml adju-vm tu the said e 'epiece, to denote the degree of rotation of tele tube, a telltule-rompnss bnlow and ud'acent L0 the eyepiece, ai magnifying-lens below Sal cmnpass, and n reflector below said lens to reflect the readings of the compass to the staatsman below.

I5. A submarino boat having a steeringwlwl uml mvvlmnm for n Stffffmmn, nr hvlme'imnn, im mixilinr); Qll-l-vrixig-xvwi-l above the level of the latter for the Qbserfer, cm1- netin mechanism whereby tflw baai may be steers by said auxiliary wheel, a telltalemmpass within the range if vision of the ab' server, and s: magnifyiglens aad reiectur, the latter being so disposed as to reflect the readings of sa1d compass within the range of vision 0f the steersman below.

in Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 23d day of May, 1904, in rthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\ LAWRENCE Y. SPEAR.

Witnesses HOWARD G. TtVrHiLL, FRANK L. BRAKE. 

